Document transporter

ABSTRACT

A gripper on endless chains is actuated by a sensor to latch over the leading edge of a document, such as a paper bill, upon insertion thereof into a machine, and simultaneously a magnetic scanning head is lowered against the bill to perform a magnetic ink test. Thereafter, the chains are operated so as to transport the document along a chain run to an inspection station where it pauses for photoelectric inspection at a number of key spots, whereby validity and denomination are determined. Thereafter, the chains advance the bill to the end of the chain run, whereupon the gripper is unlatched and a flipper deflects the document either to a reject slot or an escrow receptacle.

United States Patent James, Sr. et al.

DOCUMENT TRANSPORTER Inventors: Frazier N. James, Sr., Alexandra;

Thomas E. Walker, Haymarket, both of Va.

Assignees: Ronald L. Walutes; Bernard S.

Cohen, Co-Trustees in Bankruptcy of Frazier N. James, Sr., by said Walker Filed: July 21, 1972 Appl. No.: 271,941

US. Cl 209/73, 209/75, 209/1l1.7, 209/111.8, 209/DIG. 2, 250/219 DQ, 271/79 Int. Cl B07c Field of Search 209/DIG. 2, 75, 73, 74, 209/111.8,1l1.7,11l.6;250/219 DQ;

271/79; 194/4 R, 4 B, 4 C, 4 D

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1967 Shearer et a1 271/79 Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jesse C. Bowyer [57] ABSTRACT A gripper on endless chains is actuated by a sensor to latch over the leading edge of a document, such as a paper bill, upon insertion thereof into a machine, and simultaneously a magnetic scanning head is lowered against the bill to perform a magnetic ink test. Thereafter, the chains are operated so as to transport the document along a chain run to an inspection station where it pauses for photoelectric inspection at a number of key spots, whereby validity and denomination are determined. Thereafter, the chains advance the bill to the end of the chain run, whereupon the gripper is unlatched and a flipper deflects the document either to a reject slot or an escrow receptacle.

5 Claims, 27 Drawing Figures L FATENTEU JAN 1 4|975 SHEET 2 0F 9 INSERT BILL PLACE BILL FACE 'UP PUSH BILL TO. RED LINE FATENTEU JAN 1 75 SHEET 3 0F 9 mENTEn MHWs SHEETBUF 9 PATENTEDJAH 1 41975 -3.860.1.18 'sum ear 9 Y EGEQ zoEmEwE 2523: E

DOCUMENT TRANSPORTER FIELD OF INVENTION Check Controlled Apparatus, Anomalus Check.

PRIOR ART Smith et al. US. Pat. No. 3,245,534; James, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,905.

OBJECTS In the document verification and banking machine disclosed in the James, Sr. patent, certain features of the transport mechanism lent themselves to improvement. This device, essentially a drum with grippers thereon, introduced unwanted inertia into the system. Also, the curvature of the supporting surface against which documents were clamped rendered photoelectric inspections of the document more difficult than if it were supported on a flat surface.

Other types of document transports, such as reciprocating drawers, and grippers carried by spaced belts, have been utilized, but these also have certain deficiencies which reduce their ability to achieve the fast and sure movements of the subject device.

The objects now are to provide a document transport mechanism which introduces less inertia than was hitherto encountered and which provides for flatwise clamping of the document at a photoelectric inspection station.

More specifically, it is intended now to provide a document transporter comprised of a spaced pair of endless chains driven intermittently by a Geneva gear so as to transport a document engaged by a gripper step-by-step along a chain run from a receiving station to a photoelectric inspection station and thence to a release station.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the document transport mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the document transport mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, with certain parts removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross section along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, showing the drawbridge closed and a gripper in position to receive the leading edge ofa document;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the drawbridge opened by a gripper passing therebeneath;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross section along the line 77 of FIG. 2 showing the magnetic inspection head at rest;

FIG. 8 is a view generally similar to FIG. 7, but showing the magnetic inspection head operated, and with the read plate raised in position to receive a document therebeneath;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross section along the line 9-9 of FIG. 2 showing one of the photo-cells and its supporting structure;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross section along the line l010 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross section along the line 11-11 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a gripper;

FIG. 13 is a detail view of a closed gripper latch;

FIG. 14 is a detail view showing the pintles which mount a gripper end onto a chain;

FIG. 15 is an exploded view showing the details of the guide plate, draw bridge and back-up pad for the magnetic inspection head;

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the magnetic head support mechanism;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary cross sections along the line 17-17 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 18, 19 and 20 are fragmentary cross sections along the lines 18-18, 19-19 and 2020 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 21A through 21F are diagrams showing successive step-by-step operation of the transport mechanism; and

FIG. 22 is a block diagram of the controls essential to the transport mechanism.

In connection with the following specification, it is to be understood that the document transporter 2 is designed to be used in a document verfication machine such as shown in the patent to James, Sr. (supra), and that such a machine will typically include various validity and denominational photocell analyzing circuits, totalizer and printing mechanisms, coin handling and counting devices, etc., all to the end that when a document, such as a bill, is inserted in the machine, it is magnetically and photoelectrically inspected. If the bill does not pass muster, it is rejected; and, if it does pass, it is dropped into an escrow receptacle after appropriate analysis for denomination has been made, and a report of the analysis is made to the depositor on a register. If then the depositor elects to accept the analysis and deposit the bill, he pushes and accept button, the bill is automatically removed from the escrow drawer to a depository within the machine, and the machine issues an appropriate receipt. The present invention is directed solely to the mechanism which receives the document, performs an inspection for magnetic ink, transports it to a photoelectric inspection stations, and thence to a drop station from which the falling document is deflected by a flipper plate either to a reject chute or an escrow receptacle. The exterior of the mechanism 2 is shown in FIG. 1. A document (hereinafter referred to as biii b) is placed on a platform 4 at the front of the mechanism, and shoved in the direction of the arrows through a slot 6 until its leading edge engages into a then open gripper g, g or g (FIG. 21A). Next, the gripper is closed and held closed by spring latches 7 (FIGS. 12-14), and a read plate 8, containing photocells (not shown) disposed at various locations to read certain spots on the bill, is raised and a magnetic inspection head 10 is lowered (FIG. 8) onto the bill head during a pause in the transportation (FIG. 21C). Next the bill is pulled to the 21D position whereupon read plate 8 is lowered (FIG. 21E) and magnetic recording head 10 is raised. Next the bill is advanced to a drop station (FIG. 21F) where, in passing, latches 7 are opened and the bill drops off to be deflected or not by a flipper plate 12 into an escrow receptacle or reject slot (neither shown).

Referring now to the details of the mechanism whose functions have been outlined above, at the rear of the machine (FIG. 2) is an electric motor 14 which is connected through a reduction gear lb and coupling 18 to a drive shaft 20 on which there are affixed a Geneva gear driver 22 (FIG. 18), a pinion 24 (FIG. 17), and a cam C3 whose function will be described hereinafter. The Geneva driven element 28 is fixed on a shaft 30 on the end of which is a sprocket 32 which drives a chain 34 (FIG. 4) which, in turn, drives a sprocket 36 on the shaft 38 on which (FIG. 3) are the drive sprockets 40, 42 for the endless conveyor chains 44, 46 which also run around sprockets 48, 50 on cross shaft 42. Bearings, not detailed, support the ends of the chain sprocket shafts 40 and 42 on the inner sides of the side walls 54 and 56 of the chassis, indicated generally at 62. For each cycle of operation, motor drive shaft 20 and the Geneva driver 22 thereon turn 720 so that a gripper, such as g, is moved from its FIG. 21A position to just past its FIG. 21F position in two steps.

The grippers are detailed in FIGS. l2-14. They consist of a fixed jaw 64 having thereon an abutment strip 66, a friction pad 68, and spaced pair of bearing blocks 70, 72, adjacent the ends. The fixed jaw is attached at its ends to the conveyor chains by means of pins 74 which constitute the pintles for connecting one link to the next preceeding link in the conveyor chains. Each pivoted jaw 76 having thereon a pair of friction pads 78 is pivotally supported at its ends by pintles 80 which extend through bushings 82 on the pivoted jaw and bearing blocks 70, 72 on the fixed jaw. The pivoted jaws are normally biased open by springs 84 coiled around pintles 80. The outer ends of pintles 80 constitute the connector pintles for the one links to the next succeeding links in the conveyor chains. Held by clamp blocks 86 at the ends of fixed jaw 64 are latch springs 88 whose ends terminate in arms 90. When the pivoted jaw 76 of a gripper is forced closed, latch springs 88 latch them together; and when the abutment 92 (FIGS. 2, 14, 21E) is passed, arms 90 are tripped so that the pivoted gripper arm 76 springs open.

FIGS. 5, 6 and illustrate the operation and structure of what is termed herein the drawbridge. In its passage from the platform 4 at the front of the machine to the point where the leading edge of the bill is sensed, or hereinafter detailed, it is essential that the bill be guided into the open jaws of a gripper, yet through the very space'where such guidance is needed the grippers must move in order to reach their bill-edge receiving position. In order to accommodate these conflicting objects, there is provided a drawbridge 94 consisting of a bottom plate 96 pivoted at its ends to the opposite chassis sides, and provided with spaced thickness to which the ends of a top guide plate 100 are secured. The outer portion of the top guide plate 100 is bent upwardly as at 102 so that the two plates 96 and 100 define between them an open-mouth slot. Since the ends of the bottom plate are pivoted, the inner part of the drawbridge assembly can swing up (FIG. 6) to permit the grippers to pass. The outer portion of the bottom plate is offset so as to engage beneath the edge of the platform 4.

The top and bottom plates 100 and 96 of drawbridge 94 have cut-outs 104, 106 in order to accommodate magnetic inspection head 10 when the latter moves down against a bill which, at the time of magnetic inspection, lies in the slot between the plates. The cut-out 106 in bottom plate 96 is underlain by a fiberglass back-up plate 108 bearing a felt pad which together provide a cushioned abutment against which the magnetic inspection head presses a bill.

An operating cycle of the machine is initiated by inserting a bill through slot 6 and the slot in drawbridge 94 until its leading edge is firmly engaged between the open jaws of a gripper. That portion of the leading edge is sensed by two photocells 116, 118 supported by brackets 120 on the front wall 122 of chassis 62. These photocells see" the bill edge through apertures 124 in the pivoted upper jaws 76 of the grippers (FIG. 9). The fixed lower jaw 64 of the grippers are also provided with apertures 126 to permit light from lamps 128 to pass therethrough. These latter lamps are supported on a cross-chassis plate 130 on which is suspended a lamp box 132, the top of which is covered by a ground glass screen 134, and in the interior of which are supported lamps. Over the screen, supported by vertical slide bearings 138 mounted by brackets 140 (FIG. 11) is the housing 142 of read plate 8. Since the details of the read plate form no part of this invention, they will not be described, it being suffice to say that it is a plate in which a number of photocells are dispersed so as to measure the through-bill light transmission at a number of points. Suitable color filters can be disposed over the photocells if desired. Vertical movement of the read plate housing 142 and also the magnetic ink test head previously referred to are accomplished as follows:

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 17, the pinion 24 on motor drive shaft 20 drives a twice-size gear 144 on whose shaft 146 is a sprocket 148 around which runs an endless chain 150. This runs over an idler 152 and thence around a sprocket 154 whose shaft 146 is supported on the chassis by a bearing 158. On shaft 158 is a cam 160. The gearing to cam 160 is such that the latter rotates once for every two turns of motor drive shaft 20.

A cam follower 162 on an arm 163 follows the high lobe 164 and low lobe 166 and the arm is affixed on a rock shaft 168 whose ends are supported on the chassis by bearings 170. On rock shaft 168 are two pairs of driver arms 172 and 174 and a lever yoke 176. When cam 160 turns clockwise from its FIG. 21A position to that of FIG. 21B, rock shaft 168 rocks counterclockwise and lifts read plate housing; and driver arms 174 swing down and force the pivoted upper jaw 76 of a gripper down over a bill edge, where it is latched by springs 88. Simultaneously, the free end of lever yoke 176 swings down to depress the magnetic inspection head 10.

Magnetic inspection head 10 (FIGS. 8 and 19) is supported by bracket arms 178 (FIG. 16) on a block 180 having affixed on its back a post 182. Post 182 slidably engages in a channel 184 and is normally biased towards the lower end of the channel by a compression spring 186 which engages between the top end of the post and an abutment screw 188 engaged in the upper end of channel 184. Slide slides vertically in a slideway 190 in front chassis wall 122 and is normally biased upwardly by a tension spring 192 anchored as at 194 to the front chassis plate and at 196 to the slide. A permanent magnet 114 is mounted in the lower part of front chassis wall 122 in order to create a magnetic flux in the magnetic ink on a bill passing therebeneath. From FIG. 8 it will be apparent that if slide 185 is forced downwardly by lower yoke 176 until magnetic recording head bottoms against a bill disposed therebeneath, further downward movement of slide 185 by lever yoke 176 will compress spring 186 between stop screw 188 and the top of column 182, thereby preventing forceable bumping of the magnetic inspection head.

OPERATION SUMMARY When a customer inserts a bill through slot 6, the leading edge is sensed by photocells 116, 118 which, through suitable amplifiers and relays, energize motor 14. Motor drive shaft 20 undergoes about 270 rotation before the pin 200 on Geneva gear driver 22 engages in a slot 202 on the Geneva drive element 28 (FIGS. 21A to 21C) during which time cam 164, which continuously rotates through 360 in one cycle, rocks shaft in 168 first counterclockwise. This closes the upper gripper jaw 76 down over the leading edge of the bill, raises the read plate housing 142, and forces magnetic recording head down against the picture area of the bill. At this moment (FIG. 21C) drive pin 200 of the Geneva gear has engaged in slot 202 sufficiently to start to drive driven element 28 so that the conveyor chains 44, 46 pull gripper g to the right (FIGS. 21C and 21D), thereby pulling the bill over ground glass screen 134 and under the then raised read plate 8. At about this moment, follower 162 drops off the high lobe 164 of cam 160, rock shaft 168 rocks clockwise back to its original position (FIGS. 21D and 21E), the bill pauses, clamped between read plate housing 142 and ground glass screen, until drive pin turns about another 270 until the next slot 204 is engaged. The ensuing movement of the Geneva gear driver element 28 to its FIG. 21F position moves the bill from its read position (FIG. 21D) to a drop position just past that shown in FIG. 21F, whereupon the transport cycle stops and the flipper plate 12 either is or is not actuated by solenoid 206 so that, as the bill drops from the grippers it is relegated either to a reject slot or an escrow receptacle (neither shown) in accordance with the results of the tests for magnetic ink and the photoelectric spot tests.

FIG. 22 diagrammatically illustrates the function of the cams and switches best shown in FIGS. 4, 19 and 20. When the leading edge of a bill is sensed by photocells 116, 118 a start and hold relay is energized, thereby energizing motor 14. Switch Swl operated by cam C1 on shaft 146 cooperates with the start-hold relay to provide 720 of rotation for motor 14. Switch SW2, when its follower drops into the depression of cam C2, activates the read mechanism through the read relay. Switch Sw3, actuated by cam C3 on motor shaft 20 performs a carry-over function for motor 14 to ensure that it stops at the right point; and switch SW4, when closed by arm 163, energizes the magnetic inspection circuit.

In the ensuing claims, it will be understood that the location of bill b in FIG. 21A is the document receiving station, the location of bill b in FIG. 21D is the document inspection station, and the location of bill b in FIG. 21F is the document release station.

I claim:

1. A document transport mechanism for a document verification and banking machine, a chassis having thereon a document receiving station, a document inspection station, and a document release station disposed at spaced locations along an endless conveyor run, and an endless conveyor mechanism for moving a document along said run from the first mentioned of said stations to the second mentioned, and from the second mentioned to the third, said endless conveyor mechanism comprising a spaced pair of endless flexible conveyor elements,

means for supporting said endless flexible conveyor elements for movement along a substantially straight line for at least that portion of said run upon which the inspection stations is disposed,

a gripper spanning the space between said elements and having opposite ends respectively connected thereto, said gripper having jaws for engaging over an edge portions of a document,

means for driving said endless flexible conveyor elements step-by-step throughout an operating cycle so as to advance said document successively along a path from said receiving station to said inspection station and thence to said release station, said driving means providing a dwell of said document at said inspection station, means for opening said jaws at said release station,

said flat planar means disposed at said inspection station for engaging the surface of said document flatwise for performing an inspection function thereon.

2. In a document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 1, said flat planar means comprising a lighttransmitting panel disposed at said inspection station on one side of the document path, a plurality of photoelectric cells arranged on a plate, a frame for supporting said plate, and means mounting said frame on the other side of the document path for extending and retracting movements towards and away from the lighttransmitting plate.

3. In a document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 2, a magnetic inspection head, means mounting said head adjacent said receiving station for extending and retracting movements respectively towards and away from said receiving station, and means responsive to the insertion of a document for extending said magnetic inspection head, closing said jaws, retracting said frame, and initiating said operating cycle for the conveyor driving means.

4. In a document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 3, and means operating with the start of said dwell for advancing said frame towards said lighttransmitting plate.

5. A document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 3, the means mounting said magnetic inspection head comprising a first slideway in said chassis, a slide in said slideway, and means for resiliently supporting said head on said slide, and means for extending said head including a lever arm for engaging said slide. 

1. A document transport mechanism for a document verification and banking machine, a chassis having thereon a document receiving station, a document inspection station, and a document release station disposed at spaced locations along an endless conveyor run, and an endless conveyor mechanism for moving a document along said run from the first mentioned of said stations to the second mentioned, and from the second mentioned to the third, said endless conveyor mechanism comprising a spaced pair of endless flexible conveyor elements, means for supporting said endless flexible conveyor elements for movement along a substantially straight line for at least that portion of said run upon which the inspection stations is disposed, a gripper spanning the space between said elements and having opposite ends respectively connected thereto, said gripper having jaws for engaging over an edge portions of a document, means for driving said endless flexible conveyor elements stepby-step throughout an operating cycle so as to advance said document successively along a path from said receiving station to said inspection station and thence to said release station, said driving means providing a dwell of said document at said inspection station, means for opening said jaws at said release station, said flat planar means disposed at said inspection station for engaging the surface of said document flatwise for performing an inspection function thereon.
 2. In a document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 1, said flat planar means comprising a light-transmitting panel disposed at said inspection station on one side of the document path, a plurality of photoelectric cells arranged on a plate, a frame for supporting said plate, and means mounting said frame on the other side of the document path for extending and retracting movements towards and away from the light-transmitting plate.
 3. In a document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 2, a magnetic inspection head, means mounting said head adjacent said receiving station for extending and retracting movements respectively towards and away from said receiving station, and means responsive to the insertion of a document for extending said magnetic inspection head, closing said jaws, retracting said frame, and initiating said operating cycle for the conveyor driving means.
 4. In a document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 3, and means operating with the start of said dwell for advancing said frame towards said light-transmitting plate.
 5. A document transport mechanism as claimed in claim 3, the means mounting said magnetic inspection head comprising a first slideway in said chassis, a slide in said slideway, and means for resiliently supporting said head on said slide, and means for extending said head including a lever arm for engaging said slide. 